What does this research mean for the field?

Pellets made from a mixture of palm nut shells, movingui sawdust, and coconut fibers can serve as viable alternatives to firewood and fossil fuels for domestic heating, with the optimal mixture achieving a higher calorific value of 25.07 MJ/kg. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.NOVEL_FINDING. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.SUPPORTS_CONSENSUS.

What question did this study set out to answer?

This research evaluates the potential of palm nut shells, coconut fibres, and movingui sawdust for sustainable energy through pelletisation.

February 21, 2026Open Access

Assessment of physical and energetic characteristics of pellets produced from Elaeis guineensis shells, Cocos nucifera fibers and Distemonanthus benthamianus sawdust

Key Points

This research evaluates the potential of palm nut shells, coconut fibres, and movingui sawdust for sustainable energy through pelletisation.
Dried, milled, and sieved three biomass residues: palm nut shells, coconut fibres, and movingui sawdust.
Formulated pellets without binders and assessed physical and thermal properties.
Applied thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to evaluate thermal behavior.
Palm nut shells exhibited the highest calorific value of 18.89 MJ/kg.
Blended pellets with 10% fibres, 30% movingui sawdust, and 60% palm nut shells had the highest energy potential (HCV of 25.07 MJ/kg).
Thermal analysis showed blended pellets decomposed over a wider temperature range, indicating improved thermal stability.

Abstract

Abstract This study seeks to examine the sustainable energy valorisation of three Cameroonian biomass residues—palm nut (Elaeis guineensis) shells, coconut (Cocos nucifera) fibres, and movingui (Distemonanthus benthamianus) sawdust—via pelletisation. The raw materials were first dried, milled, and sieved, then formulated into pellets without any binders. Key physical and thermal characteristics, including moisture content, higher calorific value (HCV), volatile matter, ash content, and fixed carbon, were evaluated. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), coupled with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), was applied to assess thermal behaviour. The principal results indicate that palm nut shells showed the highest calorific value (18.89 MJ/kg), whereas coconut fibres presented the lowest (16.43 MJ/kg). Among the mixtures, pellets containing 10% fibres, 30% movingui sawdust, and 60% palm nut shells (10F30M60C) displayed the greatest energy potential, with an HCV of 25.07 MJ/kg and a fixed carbon content of 24.94%. TGA profiles indicated that blended pellets decomposed over a broader temperature interval (200°C–565°C), reflecting enhanced thermal stability relative to unblended residues. The findings indicate that these biomass combinations may represent viable alternatives to firewood and fossil fuels for domestic heating, as their characteristics closely align with international references. This study contributes to sustainable biomass utilisation strategies and reinforces energy diversification efforts in sub-Saharan Africa. Keywords: Agroforestry residues, Biomass pellets, calorific value, thermogravimetric analysis

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